


it's impossible to ignore you

by t_hens



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Meet-Cute, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 17:30:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17125676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_hens/pseuds/t_hens
Summary: Dan and Phil meet in the lobby of a hotel in Florida after Phil has a streak of bad luck and loses his luggage and wallet. Dan comes to his rescue and offers to help and share his room while Phil makes a plan.It's an unexpected turn of events that neither expected, but maybe both of them need.





	it's impossible to ignore you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [phanofstars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phanofstars/gifts).



> written for the Phandom Fic Fests Holiday Fic Exchange

Dan hated Florida. It was too hot and humid, and it made his already unreasonable curly hair go even crazier. It didn't matter, though; this was where his family always chose to go on vacation every year, no matter how much he complained.

He dragged his luggage behind him into the hotel lobby, letting it bang on the floor and earning him a pointed glare from the receptionist behind the counter, which he ignored. He got in line behind a guy who looked like he had just gone for a swim in the ocean, digging his phone out of his pocket while they waited.

The line moved slowly, but Dan didn't mind. The less time he was cooped up in a hotel room, waiting for the rest of his family to arrive and make him engage in family activities, suited him just fine, thank you, very much.

Wet-Guy took his place at the front of the line, and Dan couldn't help but listen in, even though he knew it was a bit rude.

"I don't have a reservation, and I don't have my wallet, but is there anything else I can do? Can I just sit in the lobby and charge my phone so I can call my parents and have them wire me some money?"

He sounded upset and borderline frantic, and Dan was starting to feel bad for the stranger.

"I'm sorry sir, we can’t allow any loitering in the lobby unless you have a room."

The man's head fell in defeat. "Okay. I understand. This has just been the worst day. The airport lost my luggage, and then my wallet and passport got stolen-"

The receptionist cut him off before he could continue.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry, sir, but I can’t help you. Next, please."

He moved aside so Dan could step forward, giving Dan a sad smile before glancing around, a lost look coming over his face as he headed toward the doors.

Dan stood frozen for a second, contemplating his next move. He found himself stepping out of line and toward the man before he could think better of it.

"Hey," Dan said, gently putting his hand on his arm, "I know this is probably weird and, like, creepy or whatever, but you can stay with me if you need? Or at least long enough to charge your phone?"

His eyes raked over Dan slowly, making Dan feel a little self-conscious, but after a few seconds, he smiled and nodded. The smile suited him, making the corners of his eyes a little squinty, the blue-green color becoming brighter and more prominent.

"That would be so wonderful, thank you! My name’s Phil.”

He held out his hand and Dan took it, enjoying how cool and slender it felt in his own. Their eyes met as their hands were clasped and Dan felt himself blush, not having previously realized how pretty Phil was, or how intense eye contact with him could be.

Once he realized their hands were still clasped and that they were practically just holding hands at that point, Dan broke their point of contact with an awkward chuckle.

“Okay, well, follow me, I guess. I still have to check in, but then we can head up to the room and you can figure out your next move.”

Phil nodded and followed behind Dan as he moved back to the counter. The receptionist shot daggers at Phil and looked as though she was about to tell him to leave again before Dan cut her off.

“Hello, I’m Dan Howell. I have a reservation.” 

She glared at him for a second before directing her attention toward her computer, her eyebrows raising a bit when she appeared to locate his name. 

“Oh, yes, I have you down. Here’s your key, and the elevator is just to your left. Have a pleasant stay, Mr. Howell.”

The message was a bit contradictory due to her clenched teeth, but Dan smiled anyway as he grabbed his key card, tugging on Phil’s sleeve to pull him toward the lift.

They boarded and Dan hit the button for the correct floor, leaving them standing in silence for a second before Phil spoke up. 

“Thank you for rescuing me. I really appreciate it, I had no idea what I was going to do.”

Dan shrugged coyly, trying not to blush too much.

“It’s really not a big deal. I would hope that someone would help me if I was in the same situation.”

Phil smiled the same crinkly-eyed smile from downstairs. “I definitely would.”

Dan felt his face flush red, but he did manage to return the smile, even if he did do it while looking at his feet, unable to meet Phil’s eye contact for too long.

Once they arrived at his floor, Dan led them down the hall and into his room, piling all of his bags onto the single bed and starting to dig through his backpack for a charger. He found it after pulling nearly every item out, compelling Phil to giggle every now and then and comment occasionally about the items they both owned or things they had in common.

“Here you go!” Dan said, holding up the cord in accomplishment.

Phil smiled in thanks and turned towards the outlet to start charging his phone.

Dan expected it to start becoming awkward and weird, two strangers stuck in a room for an undetermined amount of time, but Phil seemed to have a knack for making small talk seem easy and comfortable because Dan quickly found himself falling into conversation easier than he ever had with another person.

“So, what brings you to Florida?”

Dan shrugged a little irritably. “This is where my family chooses to vacation every year, even though they know I hate it.”

Phil took him by surprise by laughing before holding his hands out so that Dan wouldn’t get the wrong idea. 

“I promise, I’m not laughing at you,” Phil reassured, and Dan let his face relax out of the frown it had started to form. “It’s just that my family does, too. I came a few days early ‘cause it’s cheaper to fly out in the middle of the week. My family made me pay for my own ticket this year.”

Dan chuckled in agreement. “Yeah, no one tells you being an adult is so expense.”

Both men laughed a little, and instead of falling back into silence, Phil seamlessly segued into another topic. 

They talked and talked while Phil’s phone charged. Though it turned on quickly, Phil refused to use it while it was so dead, superstitious that he would ruin the battery (a fact Dan found hilarious). By the time it was charged enough Phil would consider making a call, it was almost two hours later. 

“What do you think I should do first?” Phil asked, clutching onto his phone.

His facial expression reminded Dan of earlier in the evening when they had met in the lobby; worried, a bit frantic at the edges. 

“Well, do you have any idea of where you lost your wallet? Do you know if it was on the plane, or maybe in the cab?”

Phil paused for a second, glancing off into space, looking deep in thought.

“I think it must have been in the Uber I took, ‘cause I had to add my card to the stupid app, so I know I had it when I got out of the plane.”

Dan bobbed his head, showing he understood. “Okay, so can you call the driver you had and see if he had it?”

“Yes, I can!” Phil gave him that proper, bright smile of his again, and Dan couldn’t help but return it.

Phil worked on scrolling through the app to find the driver’s info while Dan got out his laptop and debated whether it was rude to pull up Netflix or not. Phil stood up and headed towards the balcony, putting his phone to his ear, so Dan figured it was probably fine; Phil seemed like a chill guy. Dan put on an old season of Buffy, something he didn’t have to pay strict attention to, and started to fall down a Wikipedia hole.

Phil returned after a while, a frown on his face.

“What happened? Did they not have it?”

He shook his head and toyed with his phone without looking Dan in the eyes. “No, they did. But the guy said he can’t bring it over until tomorrow.”

Dan frowned, too, but in confusion.

“Okay, so you can just stay the night and he can bring it to you tomorrow. Do you already have a reservation at another hotel you need to call and adjust?”

Phil shook his head. “No, I was being a major slacker.”

Dan snickered. “My mom was the one who booked my room, or I would have done exactly the same thing.”

He was relieved to see the smile start to return to Phil’s face; the frown did not seem to suit him at all. 

“Are you sure it’s okay that I stay with you tonight? I don’t want to be a burden.”

Dan waved him off, scoffing lightly. “Psh, it’s fine. You’re better to hang out with than any of my family, and I don’t even know you. You could be a murder and I would still probably prefer you.”

This earned him his first proper Phil laugh, and Dan immediately knew he loved the sound. It was the sound of pure joy, and it made Dan want to laugh along. Phil took his place back on the armchair he had been habitating and plugged his phone back in. 

“Okay, so you’re absolutely sure?

Dan laughed again, rolling his eyes fondly. “Yes, Phil. I’m not just going to kick you out and make you sleep on the street.”

“Okay,” he said sheepishly, a light blush staining his cheeks. “I really appreciate it.”

Dan shrugged, looking back at his laptop to avoid showing how his own cheeks were turning pink.

“I’m watching Buffy if you want to join? I don’t know if you like it or not, I know it’s kind of old and obscure.”

“Are you kidding me?” Phil exclaimed, jumping out of his chair to join Dan on the bed. “Buffy is my all time favorite show!”

He bounced onto the bed, moving Dan and causing them to end up pressed together once they were both settled. They glanced at each other for a split second before Phil gave him a playful smile and moved over so there was a little less than a foot of space between them. 

They both turned towards the screen and focused on the show, or at least Dan tried to. What he was really stuck focusing on was how close they were sat and how _good_ Phil smelled. How musical his laugh was, and how nice it felt when he would lean into Dan’s shoulder to make a comment and he would feel the warmth of his body. The amount of times he did this solidified his earlier comment about it being his favorite show; he knew _a lot_ about Buffy. Dan found himself staring at Phil more often than the screen and giggling at the dumb jokes he would make more often than he normally probably would. 

They sat together for a few more episodes before Dan’s stomach gave a loud rumble.

“Oh, man, I’m starving. Do you like pizza?”

Phil nodded enthusiastically. “You don’t have to share with me though. You’re already doing so much for me.”

Dan shoved him lightly, giving him a small smile. 

“Do you really think I’m gonna let you go hungry?”

Phil blushed again, tucking his chin into his chest.

“You’re really nice, you know?”

It was Dan’s turn to blush, working on ordering a pizza on his phone to keep from having to look Phil in the eyes. He was afraid if he did he might want to kiss him, which was crazy because he was practically a stranger. Right?

The pizza came and they ate while watching the show, talking more and sharing their thoughts about it (mostly Phil, who said he owned the boxset and watched the whole series at least once a year) until almost two in the morning.

Phil stretched his long arms up in the air. “It’s getting late. I think I’m turn in. I’ll set up shop on the couch.”

He clambered off of the bed to start making a makeshift bed on the loveseat that was shoved in the corner of the room, which looked like it might have fit Phil’s body when he was a toddler, but now might only contain part of his torso or perhaps part of his leg.

“You know…” Dan said quietly, “you could stay with me if you wanted. Like, in my bed. I don’t snore, and I don’t think I steal covers or anything.”

He picked at a stray thread on the duvet while Phil stared at him for a few seconds in silence. 

“We can even shove a pillow in between us if that would make you more comfortable. I just know that couch would be miserable, and I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow and not be able to walk, and -” 

He was starting to properly ramble now, but luckily Phil smiled brightly at him and took his place back on the bed.

“This is just fine with me.”

Dan sighed in relief. “Okay, that’s good. I probably have some spare pajama pants if you want some?”

Phil nodded and Dan moved to the nightstand he had unpacked his belongings into to grab them both some night clothes. He tossed Phil a pair of plaid ones and kept his favorite Game of Thrones ones for himself, gesturing towards the bathroom so Phil could use it first.

Once they were both changed, Dan’s mouth was minty, and Phil had called housekeeping to get a toothbrush and brushed his own teeth, they crawled into bed and snuggled down into the covers, both sighing deeply.

The two men giggled at each other, Dan feeling Phil’s minty breath hit his face they were laid so close together. 

“Thank you for everything tonight. I don’t have any idea what I would have done without you.”

Dan was thankful for the darkness; he had already blushed so many times in front of Phil tonight. 

“It’s my pleasure. It’s been nice to have someone other than my family to spend time with.”

Phil gave an understanding chuckle and they lapsed into silence. The air between them crackled with something new and foreign to Dan. It wasn’t lust, and it wasn’t quite electricity, or a spark. It felt like something more, something heavier. He wanted to pull Phil towards him and not let him go. Dan had never felt so drawn to another person in his life.

The longer they laid there, the more intense the feeling got until Dan thought there was no way he could take it any longer. He smiled at Phil and turned over, facing away from the beautiful stranger rather than lean forward and kiss him like he desperately wanted.

“Night, Phil,” he said, voice a little strained.

“Goodnight, Dan,” Phil replied, voice quieter than it had been before. 

A few hours later, Dan woke from a heavy sleep, feeling well rested and maybe a tad bit hotter than normal. He blinked his eyes open and took a second to get his bearings, then realized the reason for his elevated temperature: Phil’s armed was slung around his waist, keeping his body pinned up against Phil’s.

Part of him wanted to freak out and jump up, but the other, more dominant part was in heaven. He did his best not to move too drastically as to jolt Phil awake, and just tried to soak up the affection. It had been a long time since Dan had felt arms wrapped around him, and right now there was no one else in the world whose arms he’d rather have around him.

After a few more minutes of cuddling, Phil started to wake up, stretching and groaning and unintentionally drawing Dan’s body closer to him. Dan went willingingly, and when Phil pulled him to his chest, wrapping both arms around him and burying his nose into Dan’s neck before breathing deeply, Dan couldn’t help the sigh of happiness that left his mouth. 

The sound seemed to shake the lingering bits of unconsciousness clinging to Phil, though, because as soon as the sound was out of Dan’s mouth, Phil was scooting back and jumping out of bed. Dan was left laying there feeling cold and a bit neglected.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I had no idea that was happening! You must think I’m such a creep. I’m so, so sorry Dan!”

Dan did his best to look nonchalant, like he hadn’t been thoroughly enjoying himself, and shrugged lightly and waved his hand at Phil.

“It’s really no big deal. I think it happens to us all.” He added on a chuckle that sounded a little false, even to his own ears, but he hoped Phil wouldn’t take it the wrong way.

“Are you sure?” Phil asked, although he did look a little relieved.

“Yeah, it’s really no problem.”

They smiled at each other for a split second, and just before either could continue the moment, Phil’s phone rang loudly in the quiet room. They both jumped, and Phil reached for it and brought it to his ear with a slightly shaky hand.

“Hello?”

He left the room to have the conversation on the balcony and Dan got up to freshen himself up in the bathroom. When he came back out, Phil was sitting in the armchair he had used last night and was putting his shoes on, making a frown appear on Dan’s face.

“Oh, you’re leaving.”

“Oh. Uh, yeah. The uber is coming to meet me in the lobby to come and return my wallet, so I can get out of your hair.”

“Okay…” Dan stood in the room and swung his arms awkwardly, unsure of what to do with himself. He surely couldn’t tell this stranger that he had met just last night that he wanted him to stay, just so he could find out if this crush that he had was really something or not. That was something a crazy person did.

They both stood there for a second, the moment stretching out awkwardly between them.

“Okay, well, I guess I’ll go, then,” Phil said, standing up. “Thank you for everything.”

He leaned forward and held out his hand for Dan to shake. Dan stared at it for a split second, wondering if this was really how they were going to leave things between them, before taking his hand and giving him a genuine smile.

“It was lovely to meet you.”

Dan didn’t want to let go of Phil’s hand, but made himself, not wanting to seem like a creep, and stood back to watch Phil walk out of the room.

Once Phil was gone, Dan returned to the bed, flopping his body down desolately. He supposed he could get some breakfast and coffee. Or take a shower. Call his family and see when their flight would be leaving.

Instead he pulled his laptop onto the bed and started mindlessly scrolling through his social media accounts, letting his mind drift around to whatever.

He had almost fallen back asleep-the wiki hole he had fallen down wasn’t doing much for him-when a knock on the door made him jump. Dan got to his feet and moved slowly, unsure who would be at his door. 

He approached the door and looked through the peephole, surprised to see Phil standing there, wringing his hands together. Dan opened the door, unable to help the surprised look on his face.

“Uh, hey?”

Phil grinned and wrung his hands more. “I, uh, got my wallet back.”

Dan nodded and smiled. “That’s good.”

Though he was happy to see Phil again, he was a bit confused what he was doing at Dan’s door.

“Yeah I just -. I thought maybe I could take you out to dinner to thank you for everything you did for me last night? Like maybe,” he cleared his throat nervously, “like maybe a date?”

Dan’s smile was so quick to come to his face, and so large, his cheeks instantly throbbed. 

“Yeah, of course. I would love that.”

Phil nodded and they made plans to meet in the lobby later that night.

When Dan shut the door, it was with a smile on his face and butterflies in his tummy. Maybe his family wasn’t so wrong about Florida after all.

**Author's Note:**

> like/reblog on [tumblr](http://tobieallison.tumblr.com/post/181469358826/its-impossible-to-ignore-you) if you like :)


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